Re: If we cannot trim subject lines...

Nathan Hand (nathanh@chirp.com.au)
Sat, 3 Jul 1999 13:45:24 +1000

On Tue, Jun 29, 1999 at 08:59:50PM +0200, Mark-Andre Hopf wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Jun 1999, Jamie Lokier wrote:
>
> > Richard Gooch wrote:
> > > Secondly, we haven't seen a convincining argument as to why putting a
> > > FS into a file provides a significant benefit.
> >
> > You know, you're right...
>
> ...
>
> > A fair point, though I haven't seen a convincing argument why a plain
> > old directory isn't adequate for holding a compound document.
>
> (a) Because it prevents the normal user from messing around with the
> internal of the `directory' and with it preventing the application
> programmer from adding tons of code to detect and workaround unexpected
> changes.

The user can open up a compound document in a text editor and 'mess' with
it. If you need to protect compound document directories from users, then
you can improve the shell, it achieves the same effect.

> (b) The normal user expects a `bunch of data' in a single file, not in a
> directory.

If the shell is written properly, this is how they'll see it.

> (c) The content of the `directory' isn't of interest to the user but to some
> applications.

It's of interest to some users, too.

-- 
Nathan Hand - Chirp Web Design - http://www.chirp.com.au/ - $e^{i\pi}+1 = 0$
Phone: +61 2 6230 1871   Fax: +61 2 6230 4455   E-mail: nathanh@chirp.com.au


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